


Flying Blind

by ladygabe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Ficlet, Force-Sensitive Poe, Gen, Luke's too young for this heart-attack, Prompt Fill, That may or may not grow, post episode vii
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5954557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygabe/pseuds/ladygabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watching Rey take on a flight simulator while blinded has become an entertaining past time for the Resistance Pilots. When someone suggests Poe try it, Luke expects him to fail miserably. Instead, Poe proves himself a special kind of Force Sensitive...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flying Blind

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the TFA_Kink Prompt (found [here](https://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/2821.html?thread=4040709#cmt4040709)):
> 
> "Luke and Rey return to the Resistance base to continue her training. One of the exercises that Luke has her doing is running the flight simulators blind with her blast-shield down, to get her to reach out with the Force and not rely on her senses.
> 
> Rey is doing pretty well- she can last almost a whole minute against the simulated TIE-fighters. The pilots of course have been keeping an eye on her progress and cheering her on, and for shits and giggles someone bets Poe that he can't do better flying blind.
> 
> Poe is Force-sensitive as a brick on the ground, so Luke hasn't noticed anything from him, but as soon as he straps into the sim cockpit it's like flicking a switch, and Poe lights up like a super saiyan (figuratively). He clears the sim with a perfect score, and Luke is like, "We need to talk..."
> 
> \+ Poe is only interested in training if it will help him be a better pilot. He's not interested in being a Jedi. Luke can't even handle this.  
> ++ Luke explains that Jedi are all about not forming attachments or feeling emotions, and Poe flatly refuses to have a bar of it.  
> +++ Finn has a similar revelation on the shooting range, and Rey and Poe and Finn are all happily Force-sensitive and bonding, while Luke is having a meltdown at Leia, like, where did you even find these kids?"

The small practice room is filled to the brim with orange. Half of the pilots in the Resistance are whooping and cheering as every simulated tie fighter goes down in a burst of pixelated flames. Rey cannot hear them, the helmet blocking all sound but that of the computer-generated cockpit, but her grin tells Luke that she _feels_ the excitement around her. The pilot’s seat swivels with every movement she makes, and he can feel the sparks of energy emanating from her as she lets the Force be her eyes. 

The entire display lasts less than a minute. Luke can feel her concentration slip, her connection to the Force eroding just enough to let a stray blast bolt hit her starboard wing. A moan of disappointment sounded throughout the room as the display shows her ship spinning out of control, only to explode against a nearby asteroid. It quickly gives way to excitement again as the screen blacks out only to show the words “New High Score! 58.43 Seconds.” Rey pulled her helmet off, her irritated scowl quickly shifting to a grin at the sound of the enthusiasm around her. 

“That was amazing!” the pilot who had been introduced to Luke as Jessika Pava crowed. “Best time yet!”

Lieutenant Wexley let out a low whistle, glancing over at the man standing beside him. “We might have a new Ace Pilot on our hands.” Poe Dameron laughed, shaking his curls. 

“Does that mean we get to put her on the posters instead?” he joked easily. 

It had been hard to reconcile the man in front of him with the boy Luke had met once, a long time ago (or, at least, long enough ago to make him feel unpleasantly old). Poe Dameron had become not only a charming man, but a stalwart soldier and a charismatic commander. That, and his piloting skills had become almost legendary. Luke would have pegged him for being Force-Sensitive, if he had not tested him as a child and knew he was about as sensitive as a rock. 

“I don’t know about that,” piped up Rey, tossing the helmet Poe’s direction. “I think maybe he should try it first.”

Poe started to protest, but his words were drowned out by amused agreement from all of the pilots assembled. “That’s not even fair!” he managed to get off, but Rey had already grabbed him by the arm and was pulling him towards the seat.

“This is going to be hilarious,” someone said while Poe made a face. Rey ignored it, stealing the helmet back from him only to shove it onto his head, blinding him. 

Luke felt his eyebrows draw together. He was beginning to understand his padawan’s behaviors, and her insistence on this told him she was up to something. It was only confirmed when she looked up at him to make sure he was watching, eyes bright and mischievous. She whispered a couple words to Poe, which only made him grimace, and then bounded to Luke’s side as the simulation came to life. 

He was about to ask her what this was all about when the first tie fighter moved into Poe’s range. Then, it was all too obvious. 

The Force permeated all living things, Poe as well anyone else. What Luke had told Poe’s mother when had tested him, all those years ago, was that it did not favor Poe more than it did an average life form. To him, it felt like a little candle flame, flickering in the boy’s chest. 

The moment Poe started to fire, the tiny flame swelled into a star. Luke was abruptly reminded of the first time he saw Rey, felt the way the Force swirled around her and emanated from her at the same time. If he had seen anything like this when Poe had been a child, he would have begged Shara for the chance to teach him. 

The surprised cheers died down into stunned silence as the minutes began to tick by. Poe’s concentration did not waver, even as he began to grin. The tally of tie fighters clicked upwards, and Luke saw Rey’s grin widen. 

At four minutes, the clock stopped and the simulation ended. “PERFECT SCORE,” declared the machine. Rey was the first to cheer, followed by startled, eager yells from Poe’s fellow pilots. Poe stood up, removing the helmet, his smile oddly sheepish. 

“You get to stay on the posters after all,” Rey chirped, before turning to her Master, obviously pleased with herself.

“How—“ Luke found himself staring at the pilot, watching as the ebb and flow of the Force in him returned to its normal levels. 

It took him until most of the pilots had filtered out of the room to recover. Finally, Luke was able to take a deep breath, fixing the commander with a firm look. 

“We need to talk.”


End file.
